Microsoft’s beloved Halo franchise is getting a facelift with a move to Unreal Engine 5, and fans have plenty of reasons to be excited, thanks to the “multiple projects” currently in development.
The last entry in the Halo series came in 2021’s Halo Infinite, which moved the standard linear approach to an open-world environment and saw plenty of hiccups along the way—including seeing early footage of the game’s graphics hammered online.
Microsoft hopes to avoid similar issues with an entirely new approach to Halo centered around Unreal Engine 5. This opens the door for “multiple projects” to be in development at the re-named Halo Studios, replacing 343 Industries—all of which was detailed in a post on the Xbox Wire.
According to studio head Pierre Hintze, the move to Unreal Engine is the next “chapter” in the Halo franchise. COO Elizabeth van Wyck explained the previous approach “doesn’t necessarily work as well for the way we want to make games for the future.”
Using Unreal Engine 5, rather than the studio’s former propriety engine, Slipspace, will allow the developers to “focus on making games” rather than making the tools and the engine. With Slipspace now almost 25 years old, the move makes sense.
The engine change also helps in recruitment, as Unreal Engine is familiar to large sectors of the gaming industry. Previously, new hires would have to spend time learning how to use Slipspace after joining the company.
Halo Studios’ changes came alongside teaser images of areas from the Halo universe rendered in Unreal Engine, including the customary backgrounds akin to the Pacific Northwest and an area overrun by the Flood.
But those hoping to dive back into the Halo franchise with a new entry soon will be disappointed because the post mentions that a “new Halo game isn’t imminent.” Players shouldn’t expect significant changes in Halo Infinite either, as the title “will still be supported through the Slipspace Engine.”
No details on what the Halo Studios team is cooking have been revealed, but there are plenty of opportunities, from remaking the original games to a new mainline entry in the series to offshoots like Halo Wars.
We’ll just have to be patient for now as we wait for further details.
